Catwalk Performance

On Tuesday, the Daily Mail publishes the 50 rural areas of the UK with the best quality of life and the Orkneys come top, adding more fuel to L’s fire. Luckily the Daily Mail are wrong about almost everything and even worse the Orkneys will now be awash with Mail readers, so perhaps we best look elsewhere for our retirement home. The list does at least present a few options for a romantic weekend away, just the four of us.

It’s also dogging on Tuesday and I’m under strict instructions to wear the Lad out. His cage dwelling does seem to be storing his energy up. That is when we can get him in it as he’s getting a proper sulk on when it’s even suggested. Hopefully soon we can leave him out.

On Wednesday I have dual deliveries at work, new trainers for Daughter who starts driving lessons today and new Hi-Viz for me. Our London customer is now insisting on full ankle to neck Hi-Viz yellow. They haven’t mentioned socks yet but it’s sure to come. It will be quite a trying on session tonight.

After my catwalk performance, it’s time for a massage that I have hastily booked in a desperate attempt to be fit for Sunday’s Sheffield Half Marathon. The Lad is so excited to meet another visitor.

Then on Thursday, my Hi-Viz and I head down to London again. I was going to have to cancel squash due to this trip but my opponent has beaten me to it, apparently he is still ill. So I can put the cancellation down to him again.

On Friday I actually remember how to cycle and very pleasant it is too. It’s nice morning for a cycle and it’s also a nice morning for a bounce to the park, if you’re the lad. He seems to bounce everywhere. L asks if I wish to join them for an evening bounce to the park, which sounds idyllic so I join them.

Then we’re into the weekend. Derby are in a late mini revival, after beating Preston on Easter Monday they hammer Bolton 3-0 on Saturday. 

(Saturday 7^th April)

Strict Instructions

L works from home this afternoon and I give her strict instructions to keep prodding the dogs to keep them awake, as I don’t want them disrupting the cycling later.

It doesn’t sound like she’s having much success. They do like a long siesta and apparently there’s not a great deal of life in them. There won’t be in me either by the time I get home. I’m not feeling fit enough to run, but we’ll see. I need to do my bit for Team GB.

Bizarrely I have a really good run home. I just keep going and going. I do 10 miles with no stops in 1:16. Bloody good. Perhaps there was a point to doing Friday’s 10k race after all. On the downside, I stand waiting for a bus, unable to walk and considering vomiting but it was fun...

The medals continue to roll in. Alistair Brownlee becomes the first Briton to win a Gold medal in the Triathlon.

His younger brother, Jonathan, takes Bronze. Meanwhile the Equestrian team win the nation's first Olympic Dressage medal which was Gold, not that I'm even sure what Dressage is.

Then in the velodrome there was Chris Hoy recording a sixth Olympic Gold medal in the Keirin, Victoria Pendleton with Silver in the Sprint and then the Trotty Train crushing all before her in the Omnium.

So the track cyclists match their Beijing tally of seven Gold medals from ten events. Overall that 22 Golds now, three up on four years ago.

High Jumper Robbie Grabarz wins a three way tie for Bronze in the most boring high jump competition ever. Ten of the twelve finalists couldn't get past the third height and Grabarz ended up in a three way tie for bronze because they couldn't even split them on countback. A jump off anyone? The Russian winner was really the only one who distinguished himself.

(Tuesday 7th August)